News

Brooklyn Law School, in partnership with the Brooklyn Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Project and the Office of the Brooklyn Borough President, has formed the Brooklyn Sandy Relief Legal Clinic. The Clinic, staffed by volunteer students and lawyers, is currently operating at Brooklyn Borough Hall on Tuesdays (1-4 p.m.) and Thursdays (9 a.m.-noon).

In keeping with Brooklyn Law School’s commitment to public service and responding to community needs, specially trained student volunteers and attorneys at the Clinic will be providing pro bono storm-related legal and application assistance to Brooklyn residents affected by Hurricane Sandy. Volunteers will counsel clients on how to file FEMA applications and appeals; apply for emergency relief benefits and insurance benefits; and obtain public assistance, food stamp replacements, and other disaster relief services.

On November 12, the Law School hosted over 100 students from several New York and New Jersey law schools as well as volunteer attorneys for a disaster relief training session led by South Brooklyn Legal Services, a program of Legal Services NYC. Following the training, the volunteers began signing up to cover shifts at the Clinic at Brooklyn Borough Hall, and will soon be staffing other Clinic sites as they open in Kings Bay, Sheepshead Bay, and other neighborhoods impacted by the storm.

“At this point people affected by the storm need more than clothing and flashlights, and our trained student volunteers can help in ways that others can’t,” said Danielle Sorken, Associate Director of the Office of Public Service Programs at Brooklyn Law School. “Students are using their legal problem-solving and communication skills to provide disaster-related assistance that will have a real impact on community members' lives.”

The Law School has a long standing tradition of offering pro bono legal assistance to those in need, and it has created one of the nation’s leading public service programs. Combining an accomplished public service faculty with an in-depth curriculum and numerous prominent fellowships and programming, Brooklyn Law School provides a broad array of opportunities for students to pursue their public service goals and interests.